Nikon VS Canon? SLR or Point and Shoot?

Hello again....I'm still debating whether or not I am going to keep my Canon T5i or return it for a really good point and shoot. A friend of mine owns the Nikon L820 and her pics are amazing with a 30x optical zoom!!!

Does anyone own a Nikon point and shoot or recommend one that also offers high def video?

Hello again....I'm still debating whether or not I am going to keep my Canon T5i or return it for a really good point and shoot. A friend of mine owns the Nikon L820 and her pics are amazing with a 30x optical zoom!!!

Does anyone own a Nikon point and shoot or recommend one that also offers high def video?

Please advise

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Teresa in Florida

You have been given plenty good advice already. I really think you need to heed some of it - especially mine

There is no one right setting on any camera: The reason there are so many different settings is that each setting has its advantages and disadvantages. The camera cannot read your mind, unfortunately, you have to know how the camera chooses and you also have to know why some scenes are almost impossible for any camera.

I recommended this book: "LIFE Guide to Digital Photography: Everything You Need to Shoot Like the Pros" by Joe McNally in a previous post. The "shoot like the pros" in the title does not mean that you will have to know everything the pro knows. On the contrary, it helps you use the camera's automatic settings to do all the hard stuff, and you are left to do the fun stuff. The key is to know how the camera "thinks" and how it can help you.

If, however, you choose to return your DSLR, DPReview has a number of comparison reviews for different compacts, superzooms etc. which you might want to take a look at, to see what you can choose from.

I have owned Nikon, Canon and Sony DSLRs, Canon, Nikon and Fuji advanced compacts, and one Nikon superzoom compact. My first impression is that you'd be trading down, performance-wise, even though you could easily find a compact with high def video and long zoom. The two key areas I'm thinking of are sensor size and performance. Those compact cameras look real good at low magnifications, because the color, contrast and sharpness are all pumped up. But a closer look reveals noise and artifacts. This might not be a critical consideration for you, unless and until you wish to apply some of your best work to enlarging or publication. If sharing with family and friends through social media, you may find the images from a compact better than most phone photography.

Nikon currently offers the P7800 with a zoom up to 200mm FF equivalent. The P8000 is almost here and will have higher specs. Their L series cameras zoom farther, but with smaller sensors. Canon's G Series will take you to 140mm, or they also have long zoom compacts comparable to Nikon's. Other brand offerings can meet your size and zoom requirements as well. But if you want the fastest response from your camera and expandability into other quality optics, you're already holding a better option in your hand, with your T5i. If friends' compact photos look better you could certainly adjust your custom picture parameters to higher levels of saturation, contrast and sharpness.

As to the question of "Canon or Nikon", it's pretty much a dead heat race. Each brand has distinctive advantages and disadvantages.

Hello again....I'm still debating whether or not I am going to keep my Canon T5i or return it for a really good point and shoot. A friend of mine owns the Nikon L820 and her pics are amazing with a 30x optical zoom!!!

Does anyone own a Nikon point and shoot or recommend one that also offers high def video?

Hello again....I'm still debating whether or not I am going to keep my Canon T5i or return it for a really good point and shoot. A friend of mine owns the Nikon L820 and her pics are amazing with a 30x optical zoom!!!

Does anyone own a Nikon point and shoot or recommend one that also offers high def video?

I mean well, If you know why, go for it, but this is not the case here. T5i is far superior cam minus zoom to all of these. I´d trade zoom for quality everytime in my price range. There is good reason for it, and there can be good reason against it. You just should know (especially OP should) WHY you do all this and what do you really need, what gear can get you there.

JUST TOOK 2 PHOTOS OF MY VIEW OF MY BACKYARD....still looks blurry to me and not crisp...what am I doing wrong???

THIS IS LANDSCAPE MODE....STILL NOT HAPPY WITH RESULTS.....PHOTO #1

AV MODE AT F13....STILL NOT CRISP???

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Teresa in Florida

1/8 sec shutter speed is to slow to hand hold, thus it kills your sharpness. At your chosen focal length you'd want about 1/25 minimum, but that's even pushing it for many people; around 1/60 is better. To get that you need about three stops more light so you could either bump the ISO to 800 and keep your same Depth of Field, or you could open up the aperture to around 5.6 or so and sacrife some DOF for better file quality. Your choice as to qhich option is better.

The biggest problem is that that isn't a picture of your backyard, but a picture of your sunporch with the yard visible through the windows. Your settings considerations ahould be based on thinking you're indoors for that shot, not outdoors.

F5.6 / iso 800 / shutter speed 1/60.....does it look ok? also I could not set shutter speed in AV mode, is that correct????

Chikubi wrote:

JUST TOOK 2 PHOTOS OF MY VIEW OF MY BACKYARD....still looks blurry to me and not crisp...what am I doing wrong???

THIS IS LANDSCAPE MODE....STILL NOT HAPPY WITH RESULTS.....PHOTO #1

AV MODE AT F13....STILL NOT CRISP???

-- hide signature --

Teresa in Florida

1/8 sec shutter speed is to slow to hand hold, thus it kills your sharpness. At your chosen focal length you'd want about 1/25 minimum, but that's even pushing it for many people; around 1/60 is better. To get that you need about three stops more light so you could either bump the ISO to 800 and keep your same Depth of Field, or you could open up the aperture to around 5.6 or so and sacrife some DOF for better file quality. Your choice as to qhich option is better.

The biggest problem is that that isn't a picture of your backyard, but a picture of your sunporch with the yard visible through the windows. Your settings considerations ahould be based on thinking you're indoors for that shot, not outdoors.

Stop fiddling with the settings without knowing what you are doing. It is a waste of time - your time and everybody else's. There is no one universal setting for all scenes. You need to learn what works and why.

Learn the basics. Your questions reveal you need that.

I know I contradict myself now, but did you try "Green Square mode"? It is the closest you will come to full auto on a P&S, and it works in most situations. You can even see afterwards, in the exif, what settings it used.

Have you noticed the focus points? They tell you which parts of the picture, the autofocus computer selected. If you don't agree, you will have to change them. Do you know how to do that?

Hello again....I'm still debating whether or not I am going to keep my Canon T5i or return it for a really good point and shoot. A friend of mine owns the Nikon L820 and her pics are amazing with a 30x optical zoom!!!

Does anyone own a Nikon point and shoot or recommend one that also offers high def video?

I mean well, If you know why, go for it, but this is not the case here. T5i is far superior cam minus zoom to all of these. I´d trade zoom for quality everytime in my price range. There is good reason for it, and there can be good reason against it. You just should know (especially OP should) WHY you do all this and what do you really need, what gear can get you there.

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Why does he do it?

She is after the optical zoom and fixed lens....actually my recommendation is off since she prefer P&S so she wants a compact camera.

I want to learn how to use my SLR....that is why I am asking for advice when I take shots......i like the touch screen of the Canon T5i and my biggest hardship is trying to get everything in focus with group shots instead of blurry backgrounds......that I do not like......still can't figure that out, even in auto mode??

Heaven is for real wrote:

crashpc wrote:

Heaven is for real wrote:

Teresa in Florida wrote:

3-13-14

Hello again....I'm still debating whether or not I am going to keep my Canon T5i or return it for a really good point and shoot. A friend of mine owns the Nikon L820 and her pics are amazing with a 30x optical zoom!!!

Does anyone own a Nikon point and shoot or recommend one that also offers high def video?

I mean well, If you know why, go for it, but this is not the case here. T5i is far superior cam minus zoom to all of these. I´d trade zoom for quality everytime in my price range. There is good reason for it, and there can be good reason against it. You just should know (especially OP should) WHY you do all this and what do you really need, what gear can get you there.

-- hide signature --

Why does he do it?

She is after the optical zoom and fixed lens....actually my recommendation is off since she prefer P&S so she wants a compact camera.

F5.6 / iso 800 / shutter speed 1/60.....does it look ok? also I could not set shutter speed in AV mode, is that correct????

Yes, that looks much better as everything is sharp from foreground to the windows, which is as it should be since that's where the camera's focus point is, and not on the scene outside the windows.

One thing you need to do is to retrain your expectations of what is sharp and what constitutes a "good" photo. That means that if your definition is having everything everywhere in focus all the time every time, then you need to realize that that's more of a bad affectation picked up from being used to P&S photos and small prints. Massive DOF like that in truth is only useful in a number of limited circumstances whereas most situations are better served by more precise control over a more limited DOF field range. Being able to master that control of DOF is a sign of a good photographer and thus that's why better photographers value cameras like DSLRs because they are by their nature able to provide that level of precise control, assuming the photographer is up to the task of applying it correctly.

What you need most is not another camera, but a much better understanding of DOF and other basic photo concepts, which you'll only get via books, classes, practice, and patience. In other words, you're just going to have to put in the time and effort to get better and realize it could take years before you truly feel comfortable with it all. If that somehow sounds like more than you want to deal with, well, no shame in that and you're better off cutting your losses now, going back to a P&S, and being much more relaxed. That said, as someone who's been shooting for over 25 years, has published work, and regularly exhibits as well, the payoff for all the effort to learn the craft well and produce beautiful work can feel really, really, good.

One last point - even after 30 years there's still new things to learn and master. Just the nature of the beast, and what makes photography continually interesting. YMMV

F5.6 / iso 800 / shutter speed 1/60.....does it look ok? also I could not set shutter speed in AV mode, is that correct????

WOW thank you so much!....It's very hard to read some of these posts because yes I DO get frustrated...being using a point and shoot for so long but it's just like anything else, I did that part and want to learn MORE......everyone always knows me as" Teresa always has her camera and is always taking photos"......I just used my creative scene mode with VIVID (never really used that mode yet) and was like WOW!!!!!!!!....so yes I have a lot to learn and love to get advice from people on here.....I read the manual a few times but that is just blah to me.....i have to practice which is what I am doing.....I'm actually really excited about this camera cuz I love the way it feels, the flip out screen (great for concerts so I can hold it up high and snap!)....the touch screen to view pictures with my finger swiping across...just neat features it offers.....

Yes, that looks much better as everything is sharp from foreground to the windows, which is as it should be since that's where the camera's focus point is, and not on the scene outside the windows.

One thing you need to do is to retrain your expectations of what is sharp and what constitutes a "good" photo. That means that if your definition is having everything everywhere in focus all the time every time, then you need to realize that that's more of a bad affectation picked up from being used to P&S photos and small prints. Massive DOF like that in truth is only useful in a number of limited circumstances whereas most situations are better served by more precise control over a more limited DOF field range. Being able to master that control of DOF is a sign of a good photographer and thus that's why better photographers value cameras like DSLRs because they are by their nature able to provide that level of precise control, assuming the photographer is up to the task of applying it correctly.

What you need most is not another camera, but a much better understanding of DOF and other basic photo concepts, which you'll only get via books, classes, practice, and patience. In other words, you're just going to have to put in the time and effort to get better and realize it could take years before you truly feel comfortable with it all. If that somehow sounds like more than you want to deal with, well, no shame in that and you're better off cutting your losses now, going back to a P&S, and being much more relaxed. That said, as someone who's been shooting for over 25 years, has published work, and regularly exhibits as well, the payoff for all the effort to learn the craft well and produce beautiful work can feel really, really, good.

One last point - even after 30 years there's still new things to learn and master. Just the nature of the beast, and what makes photography continually interesting. YMMV